Choco-Spice Layer Cake w/Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Light and fluffy, this Choco-Spice Layer Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting has a mild taste of cinnamon and a slight hint of chocolate and coffee.

Choco-Spice Layer Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Choco-Spice Layer Cake with Mocha Frosting

A little birdie once told me that while Santa loves Sugar Cookies and Milk, he would prefer to have a nice Layer Cake and Milk. That little birdie loves his cake.

With that in mind, I thought I would do an experiment. Broaden my horizons.

Cast of Ingredients for Choco Spice Layer Cake

One of my favorite cakes is the Choco Spice Layer Cake which I saw in my Penzy’s Spice Catalogue several years ago. It is a moist and very flavorful cake and goes well with a nice hot cup of coffee.

Years ago, I used to bake (steam) cakes in my Turbo Cooker. I loved that machine so much and ended up doing a infomercial for the creators. They had come up with a new product called Turbo Grill. They asked me to review and then filmed me for the infomercial. The Turbo Grill never caught on.

I digress. When I was showing cats, I often times brought a cake for my group of exhibitors. The Turbo Cooker makes great cakes using steam. The Pressure Cooker also cooks, using steam, so I thought, why not, let’s do a side by side comparison of this Choco-Spice Layer Cake using the oven and the Pressure Cooker.

Combine Butter and Sugar

In a Medium Mixing Bowl, combine the very soft room temperature butter with the sugar. Using an Electric Hand Mixer, beat at high speed, until well combined.

Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix. Make sure to scrape down the sides.

Whisk together Cocoa Powder and Milk

In a Small Saucepan, on a very low heat, add milk. Sprinkle in Cocoa Powder and Whisk until completely dissolved and combined. The milk should be warm and not hot.

With the Electric Hand Mixer running, gradually add the Cocoa Milk to the Sugar/Butter mixture and beat well, making sure to scrape down the sides.

Don’t Scoop from the Container or Bag of Flour

If you don’t read anything else of this story, please at least read my article on How to Properly Measure Flour.

I don’t want you to end up with a rubbery or a brick Choco-Spice Layer Cake and then blame the  recipe.

Proper measurement of Flour is essential!

Combine Flour with Spices

The original recipe calls for Cake Flour, which is a softer flour. I was out. I was craving this cake and was determined to bake it anyway. I make the best homemade New York Style Pizza Dough, so I always have Antimo Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour (Blue Bag) on hand. The problem was that I only had about two cups left. I wanted the cake and decided to experiment.

I combined what I had left of the Antimo Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour (Blue Bag) with the balance needed of All Purpose Flour. Oh my gosh, am I ever glad that I was out of Cake Flour! This Choco-Spice Layer Cake was considerably better than when using Cake Flour! The consistency was moister and more tender. My Choco-Spice Layer Cake recipe, has been permanently changed!

So, in another Mixing Bowl, use your Baker’s Scale to weigh your flour. If you do not have a Baker’s Scale, make sure to properly measure your flour and the spices. Use a Microplane Stainless Steel Zester to grate the Whole Nutmeg.

Alternate Adding Flour Mix and Milk

Alternate adding the Flour Mixture and the rest of the milk into your mixing bowl and beat after each addition. When well mixed, add the vanilla and beat again. Make sure to scrape down your sides.

Grease and Flour the Pan

This is the Stainless Steel Pan I use for my Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot in Pot Rice recipe. I love this pan because it does double and triple duty. It is the perfect size for this cake at almost 8 inches. The mini pans it comes with can be used for my Quick Egg Custard recipe.

For baking in the oven, place two cake pans in the oven and bake, until toothpick test comes out clean.

Making and Using a Foil Sling

Please see my article on Making and Using a Foil Sling in the Pressure Cooker.

It is cheap to make and you will find yourself using it all your Pot in Pot cooking. If you don’t want to make this Homemade Sling, you might prefer this Silicone Sling/ Vegetable Steamer which is a nice product.

Some people like to use  Grafiti Bands Cross Style as they make it so easy to get pans and bowls in and out of the Pressure Cooker .

Use a Foil Sling to Lower Pan into Pressure Cooker

Add some water into your Pressure Cooker cooking pot and place a Trivet. Using your Sling, lower the Cake Pan into the Pressure Cooker cooking pot.

You are all ready to bake!

Test Cake for Doneness

After the Pressure has been released, remove your cake and place it on a wire rack. Use a toothpick, knife or cake tester and insert into the cake, about 1/2 down. The knife/toothpick should come out clean. If it is not clean, but the cake back into the Oven or Pressure Cooker for another five minutes, or until done.

After 10 minutes, invert cake and allow it to rest on the wire baking rack. Allow the cake to cool all the way before frosting with my Sinfully Delicious Mocha Frosting Recipe.

Frost the Layers

I am horrible at frosting, but here is how you do it. I hope your execution is better than mine! I think my cat’s execution would be better than mine. This is the ugliest Choco-Spice Layer Cake I have ever seen! Hehehe. Show me some photos of yours!

In order to layer the cakes, take a very sharp knife and cut the tops off, so that the tops are nice and flat. Place one cake on a tray and evenly spread the frosting. Take the second layer and place that on top of the cake and spread the frosting. After cutting the roundness off of the top of the cake, it is easier to flip over the cake and place it on top of the frosted layer. That will give you a very flat cake. I did not do that here, because I wanted a rounder cake.

Choco Spice Layer Cake w/Mocha Frosting

One layer of this cake was baked in the Pressure Cooker and the other layer was baked in the Oven. There is literally zero difference in taste. Can you tell the difference?

This Choco Spice Layer Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting recipe is great to use to make Cup Cakes! It is also a good recipe to use, to make cake in a jar. This cake freezes well. I like to slice it first and place waxed paper between each slice, so that I can grab a slice from the freezer, whenever I like. Enjoy!

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot Smart DUO60
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk
• LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner– I totally love this spatula!
• Alpha Armour Salt Box with Spoon
• Bellemain Porcelain Ramekins
• Baker’s Scale
• Stainless Steel Trivet
• 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Small 1.5 Quart “Pot in Pot” Mixing Bowl
• Microplane Stainless Steel Zester
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• Small Saucepan
• Antimo Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour (Blue Bag)
• Cocoa Powder
• Ground Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Whole Nutmeg
• Stainless Steel Pan
• Wire Baking Rack
• Sinfully Delicious Mocha Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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Here is your handy printable recipe:

Choco-Spice Layer Cake with Buttercream Mocha Frosting

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

Cake

• 3/4 cup (170 g) Butter softened
• 1 1/2 cup (350 g) White Sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 1/4 cup (300 g) Milk divided
• 3 Tablespoons Natural Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups (250 g) Antimo Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour (Blue Bag)
• 1 cup (125 g) All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Whole Nutmeg freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Frosting

• 12 oz Sinfully Delicious Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a small pan heat ¾ cup milk and sprinkle in cocoa powder. Stir until the the cocoa powder is dissolved and milk is warm, NOT hot.
• Pour into butter mixture and beat well.
• In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
• Slowly add the flour mixture with the remaining milk to the Butter mixture and beat well after each addition.
• Add vanilla to batter and beat to combine.

Pressure Cooker

• Pour half (700 grams) into greased and floured 7.5 inch cake pan.
• Add 1.5 cups of water to Pressure Cooker cooking pot and place a Trivet.
• Using a Sling, lower pan into Pressure Cooker.
• Lock on Lid and close Pressure Valve.
• Cook at High Pressure for 30 minutes.  When Beep sounds, allow a 15 minute Natural Pressure Release.
• Insert cake tester into middle of cake to test for doneness. Cake tester should come out clean.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool.
• Dump water from Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
• Repeat process for second cake, using cool water in the Pressure Cooker cooking pot.

Oven

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour into two greased and floured 8 inch cake pans, approximately 700 grams each.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until brown and springy. Insert cake tester into middle of cake to test for doneness. Cake tester should come out clean.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to thoroughly cool.

Frost

• Use my Sinfully Delicious Mocha Frosting Recipe and frost cooled cake.

Notes

Flour Options

• 3 cups of Cake Flour can be used instead of the Antimo Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour (Blue Bag)/All Purpose Flour, but the cake will not be as moist and fluffy; or 
• 6 Tablespoons Potato Starch + enough All Purpose Flour to equal three cups can be substituted for the 3 cups of Flour.

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Choco-Spice Layer Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting (Pressure Cooker & Oven Method)